The present invention relates generally to devices for teeing golf balls. More particularly, this invention pertains to portable, automatic golf ball teeing devices.
Golf driving ranges are frequently used by golf enthusiast desiring to improve their golf swing by repetitively hitting tee shots from a single location over a short period of time. A supply of golf balls is provided and the golfer hits them one at a time from a teeing area into a field. Each golf ball is to be teed up before hitting. The golfer must bend over before each shot to place a ball on a tee, which may be the familiar wooden or plastic tee pushed into the ground, or it may be a flexible rubber tube built into a mat or set permanently in the ground.
Unfortunately, reaching for a ball from the supply bucket and bending over at the waist to place a new ball on the tee require the golfer to move from a proper golf stance to tee the ball. After teeing the new ball, the golfer will then need to reassume a desired golf stance before striking the newly teed golf ball. Most golfers will recognize that movement into and out of a desired golf stance is undesirable. Each time the golfer attempts to assume the desired golf stance there are some differences in the stance, such as foot placement, alignment and distance from the tee. This repetitive changing of golf stance is detrimental to developing a consistent golf swing. Movement from the golf stance should be avoided.
Thus, an automatic teeing apparatus would be very desirable. Many such devices have been suggested in the past employing different systems to provide one teed-up golf ball at a time. Most automatic teeing systems involve a swinging arm to transfer a golf ball from a reservoir of balls to a tee. Typical of such systems are those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,796,893; 5,259,622 and 5,346,222. These prior art teeing devices frequently require the golfer to operate a foot pedal, or other wise move from the golfer's golf stance, to dispense a golf ball on the tee. This common feature of the automatic teeing devices is very detrimental to the desired practice condition of remaining in a golf stance.
Thus, an automatic teeing apparatus that is operable from a golf stance would be very desirable.
Additionally, while these prior art devices have many desirable features, they do not provide the most simple, economical, yet efficient and useful apparatus that can be devised. For example, some of the prior art devices require foot pedals for actuation of mechanical gears. Others use long magazines and systems of springs and pulleys. None operate solely by the force of gravity and operator manipulation from the golf stance. Also, none can be easily made from cheap, easily obtainable extruded plastic piping configured so as to function with fit tolerances much greater than most geared systems.
Thus, an automatic teeing apparatus that is inexpensive, compact, and portable and that is operable by the force of gravity and operator manipulation from a golf stance would be very desirable.